Year: 2017
Director: Chuan Lu
Starring: John Krasinski (narrator) and a lot of fuzzy animals
Synopsis: Follow the stories of pandas, snow leopards, snub-nosed monkeys, and chiru (Tibetan antelope).
Synopsis: Follow the stories of pandas, snow leopards, snub-nosed monkeys, and chiru (Tibetan antelope).
Review
I've reviewed quite a few movies on this blog, but this is my first documentary here. Born in China is a Disneynature film that came out on Earth Day. It stars giant pandas and snow leopards and showcases the beauty of China. What's not to love about that?
The film follows four different animal families over the course of a year. To see the magnificent snow leopards in their natural habitat is, for me, worth the cost of admission alone. And the panda mommy and baby are cute and cuddly too. There are also a few shots of a red panda, which might be one of my favorite animals. And the monkeys are cute enough as well. Antelope/chiru aren't really my thing, but their story was interesting nonetheless.
If you're expecting a documentary like Planet Earth, don't. Visually I'd say it is of the same caliber. But the narration -- provided by John Krasinski -- is definitely geared toward kids. It's informative, but got a bit twee at times. And there was quite a bit of animal personification going on. Overall though, the narration does a good job balancing information with humor.
The film has an overarching theme of families and the importance of them. I did appreciate that aspect. And while the similarities with human families were certainly stressed, the filmmakers also acknowledge that animal families are quite different. Even the four different animal families in the film are different. You've got the chiru herd, a clan of monkeys, and single mothers with the snow leopards and pandas.
Although this is a G-rated Disney film, I was impressed that it didn't shy away from the realities of the animal kingdom and the circle of life. It did so in a tasteful manner that's as kid-friendly as you can probably get. But the fact remains, one animal's survival depends on another animal's demise. And not every animal survives the film.
If you love animals and gorgeous scenery, I'd say Born in China is worth a gander. Or it's something to take the kids to if you need to get out of the house. Did I mention cute pandas and gorgeous snow leopards?
The film follows four different animal families over the course of a year. To see the magnificent snow leopards in their natural habitat is, for me, worth the cost of admission alone. And the panda mommy and baby are cute and cuddly too. There are also a few shots of a red panda, which might be one of my favorite animals. And the monkeys are cute enough as well. Antelope/chiru aren't really my thing, but their story was interesting nonetheless.
If you're expecting a documentary like Planet Earth, don't. Visually I'd say it is of the same caliber. But the narration -- provided by John Krasinski -- is definitely geared toward kids. It's informative, but got a bit twee at times. And there was quite a bit of animal personification going on. Overall though, the narration does a good job balancing information with humor.
The film has an overarching theme of families and the importance of them. I did appreciate that aspect. And while the similarities with human families were certainly stressed, the filmmakers also acknowledge that animal families are quite different. Even the four different animal families in the film are different. You've got the chiru herd, a clan of monkeys, and single mothers with the snow leopards and pandas.
Although this is a G-rated Disney film, I was impressed that it didn't shy away from the realities of the animal kingdom and the circle of life. It did so in a tasteful manner that's as kid-friendly as you can probably get. But the fact remains, one animal's survival depends on another animal's demise. And not every animal survives the film.
If you love animals and gorgeous scenery, I'd say Born in China is worth a gander. Or it's something to take the kids to if you need to get out of the house. Did I mention cute pandas and gorgeous snow leopards?
Quotable Quotes
- "She considers this marmot ... no she doesn't." -- Narrator about the snow leopard's dinner plans
- "The herd is many, but the herd is one." -- Narrator
ISFS
No comments:
Post a Comment